Super Bowl predictions

[kearly]

I want to be bold and say Seahawks/Bengals, but my heart is telling me that it will be the obvious- Seahawks/Broncos.

Picking the team out of the AFC is hard. The Broncos are clearly the best AFC team, but they are basically a much better version of the Falcons- extremely pass oriented- and built more for regular season dominance than postseason steadiness. The Bengals are being held hostage by Dalton, though Dalton did show some early signs last year before fading. The Ravens lost a ton of impact players and didn't clear the playoff bar by much in 2012. The last time the Patriots were this depleted at WR/TE was 2006, and they looked relatively awful in those playoffs. The Texans have a mostly complete football team, but faded down the stretch, got crushed twice by New England, and ended up with the NFL's very worst defense against the deep pass. Whoever the 6th AFC playoff team is, they probably won't be very good (Colts, Chiefs, etc).

The NFC as a whole is loaded, but the 49ers and Seahawks are uber-loaded. I would guess that in 100 simulated seasons, Seattle or SF would represent 70%, maybe 80% of the Superbowls. The other competing teams, Packers, Falcons, Saints, Redskins, and Giants, simply do not have the defenses capable of stopping SEA/SF's physical dual threat attack, and would need a home game at 10am to have a solid chance of victory.

So I guess I'm going with Seattle/Denver, even though it's probably what most people are picking right now.

 

[Scottemojo]

I think Seattle/Texans.

 

[Tech Worlds]

I gotta agree with soapbox on this one... SEA-DEN superbowl with the Hawks winning the game between the former division foes.

 

[Sac]

Seahawks over SteAlers.

 

[heyu123]

SF vs Denver

Denver because they will likely coast to HFA and a bye in that division. They had it last year too and blew it, so you never know, but I still like their chances.

 

[Smelly McUgly]

Can I be a bit un-bold and predict NFCW winner vs. uh, um, uh, Patriots? Yeah, NFCW winner vs. Patriots.

 

[Tech Worlds]

Can I be a bit un-bold and predict NFCW winner vs. uh, um, uh, Patriots? Yeah, NFCW winner vs. Patriots.

Weak sauce

 

[Sports Hernia]

Seattle 34 Denver 10. Manning will be on his back more than a Nevada hooker on "dollar night"! Denver scores a late TD in garbage time when 90% of the Seattle population is half in the bag!

 

[RolandDeschain]

Seahawks-Patriots. New England beats Denver in the AFCCG in an upset.

Also, Kearly, could you do my grammar OCD a favor and change the title to "Super Bowl"?

 

[RedAlice]

I think is v Denver.

Either Hawks/Niners/Atlanta.

And if you do end up playing the Pats, you better beat them.

 

[seahawks875]

I'll do full playoff predictions:
NFC
1. Seattle
2. Green Bay
3. Atlanta
4. Washington
5. New Orleans
6. Carolina

AFC
1. Denver
2. New England
3. Indianapolis
4. Pittsburgh
5. Cincinnati
6. Houston

Wildcards
CAR over ATL
WAS over NO
HOU over IND
PIT over CIN

Divisional
SEA over CAR
WAS over GB
DEN over HOU
NE over PIT

Conference
SEA over WAS
NE over DEN

Super Bowl
SEA over NE

 

[kearly]

I gotta agree with soapbox on this one... SEA-DEN superbowl with the Hawks winning the game between the former division foes.

Great minds think alike.

I must be weird, because I think the soapbox nickname kind of clicks. I like it. Denard Robinson had "shoelace," I wouldn't mind having "soapbox." Though I think that title probably fits Montana and Seatown the best.

I think Seattle/Texans.

I was tempted to pick them. They are incredible on paper. I love that they got DeAndre Hopkins to pair with Andre Johnson. They have some major star power in the front seven, including the best defensive player in the game. They have an elite left tackle and a good line overall. Matt Schaub was once (at least arguably) an elite QB. They have at least arguably the best 1-2 punch at RB in the league, and certainly in the AFC.

But... their performances against good teams last year was alarmingly bad. They faded down the stretch, hard. New England crushed them before crushing them again. The Texans couldn't beat a mediocre Colts team on the road, in a game that was the difference between the #1 and #3 seeds. Not only that, but the game wasn't even that close. It was an embarrassment. The reason? Despite all the Texan's talent, their defense was the worst in the league at defending the deep ball. And that was with a semi-interior pass rusher having a 20 sack season (!).

The Texans remind me a lot of the Schottenheimer Chiefs. That's why I ended up steering clear of them, even though they might be the most talented team in the AFC.

Also, Kearly, could you do my grammar OCD a favor and change the title to "Super Bowl"?

Scratched that itch for ya.

 

[RolandDeschain]

The problem with the Texans is here's the list of defenses that Matt Schaub scares:

...

*crickets*


Watt's a monster and that defense is very good, but unless they rise to 2000 Ravens level, I don't think Schaub has enough to win the Lombardi. Not unless they pull an Atlanta Falcons and get another great receiver to have with Andre.

 

[dontbelikethat]

Not unless they pull an Atlanta Falcons and get another great receiver to have with Andre.

They drafted Deandre Hopkins. Don't know how "great" he is yet obviously.

 

[SouthSoundHawk]

If it's SEA/DEN, I would feel pretty confident going into the game.

To top it off my friends a Broncos fan, and I would love to give him shit. He never gives Sea respect, he still jocks Tebow, he down plays the Dumerville debacle, he doesn't know any thing about his team, and he never watches their games because "it's bad luck when I watch," but it's actually because the games are too early for him to wake up. He's the worst person to talk football with, I'm positive I know more about that crap team than he does and it's pathetic.

ANYWAY. Would not mind this match up at all, Denver doesn't scare me one bit.

I think the loss of their centers is going to be an issue all season long, and the run game might suffer because of it. Peyton will do his thing (if he can get through the playoffs), but I don't (fully) trust the ground game. I also don't trust Peyton manning throwing to his left, and with the DBs Seattle has he would be forced to throw that direction (more than he would like) and it would cost him dearly. Their defense can be the real deal, and they should get the credit they deserve and maybe even a little more. I don't admire the teams going up against them twice a year. Then again, it's been a weird off season and their defense is having issues as well.

I really like this match up.

 

[RolandDeschain]

Not unless they pull an Atlanta Falcons and get another great receiver to have with Andre.

They drafted Deandre Hopkins. Don't know how "great" he is yet obviously.

Yeah, we'll have to see. I've gotten to the point in my life where I don't assume anything about any draft pick, whether they're #1 overall or in the middle of the 7th round, lol. Looking at where most of our Legion of Boom was obtained from, and also at how many overall 1st-round busts there are, it's just like...Throw your hands in the air. If he turns out to be elite, watch out for the Texans, though.

 

[Lady Talon]

SEA/DEN would be a good matchup, as far as sizing up the teams in preseason. I just don't trust Peyton one bit to actually get there without intercepting away a Divisional matchup.

SEA/CIN would be my pick, Houston has trouble with big games, NE is there so often it bores me, Peytons a playoff killer turnover machine, and I think Cincinnati could give us as competitive a game as the donkeys can.

 

[Thread Killer]

Atlanta Falcons vs. Denver Broncos

 

[volsunghawk]

SEA/DEN would be a good matchup, as far as sizing up the teams in preseason. I just don't trust Peyton one bit to actually get there without intercepting away a Divisional matchup.

SEA/CIN would be my pick, Houston has trouble with big games, NE is there so often it bores me, Peytons a playoff killer turnover machine, and I think Cincinnati could give us as competitive a game as the donkeys can.

I agree with your Houston comment. But that's about the last thing I agree with when it comes to justifying the Bengals in the SB.

NE being a "boring" choice doesn't change the fact that the Pats are a legit threat to make the SB from the AFC until Belichick strokes out or Brady's arm falls off.

Manning's definitely got a bad one-and-done record in the postseason, but it's not like Dalton has a better playoff record. Here are Dalton's stats in his 2 playoff games so far:

41 completions/72 attempts, 384 yards, 0 TDs, 4 INTs

You can talk about Manning's foibles, sure, but Dalton is even worse thus far, and he doesn't have Manning's talent, arm power, and head for the game to compensate for the miscues.

Unless the Bengals' offensive additions from the draft show up big time this year, I see Cincy as one-and-done - again.

 

[Carmon1274]

People think that Cinci has a shot to go to the Superbowl, where they cant even get past Houston the past 2 seasons in the playoffs.